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REFLECTION

A Sabbath rest for the people of God. A sabbath is a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jewish people from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday. It is a day of rest, commanded by Yahweh to be observed as a holy day of rest, as God rested on the seventh day in the Genesis creation narrative. Shabbat observance is commanded in the Ten Commandments: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). We shall reflect on the fact that believers are promised a Sabbath rest after their work on earth. This sabbath rest is an eternal union and peace with God through Christ.

Beloved in the Lord, the writer of Hebrews assures His Jewish Christians that apart from observance of the Sabbath in the Torah, there is an eternal Sabbath rest that only those who are in Christ or have faith in Christ can receive. It is a Sabbath rest that God will give to the faithful who have been obedient to His Word. “Therefore, since it remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it ‘Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:6-11) In other words, the Sabbath rest is God’s salvation and assurance of eternal peace for anyone who will believe in the Good News or accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Jesus had also assured us rest when He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Dear friend in Christ, to experience the everlasting and peaceful sabbath rest for our souls, we must make Jesus our companion and Lord, for He has said, ““I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). We even have a foretaste of His peace and rest before the eternal and glorious one when He said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27) This peace and rest is not a mere absence of war but a meaningful life of fulfilment in Christ Jesus. We are greatly encouraged to trust and obey even as we experience the sabbath rest of the Lord.

In summary, we discovered that believers are promised a Sabbath rest after their work on earth, and this sabbath rest is an eternal union and peace with God through Christ. To experience this sabbath rest, we must trust and obey our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit empower us to trust and obey even as we experience the eternal rest and peace of God.